I probably should have written this entry yesterday, but I needed some time to collect my thoughts.  The Lake District was beautiful, but it didn't feel like England to me.  I guess I've never really associated Britain with mountains.  Whenever I've imagined the U.K., I've envisioned green fields and rocky shores, but not mountains.  I felt more like I was back in Virginia, in the Shenandoah valley.  I don't know if it's a sense of familiarity or what, but I could really see myself living in Grasmere. 

As we talked about Robin Hood in class today, I kept thinking about the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.  It has always bothered me that Kevin Costner portrayed Robin without even attempting an English accent (and, quite frankly, without even attempting to act).  That's just like Hollywood, to take a foreign story and make the main character an American.  It always has to be about us.  It's no wonder other nations get so frustrated with us.  I wonder how the British feel about that movie, if they like it anyway or if they resent it for bastardizing a story so close to their hearts.  I'm reminded of Robin Hood: Men in Tights, when Cary Elwes' character says he is superior to other Robin Hoods "because, unlike other Robins, I can speak with an English accent."  I bet that, at least for the British (and I know for myself), that is true.